


Bad Faith

by EudociaCovert



Series: The Best Path: Prompt Fills [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Gen, I Cannot Stress that Enough, Injury, Mental Health Issues, Post-Apocalypse, Post-War, Survival, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EudociaCovert/pseuds/EudociaCovert
Summary: bad faithnoun1.intent to deceive.2.(in existentialist philosophy) refusal to confront facts or choices.The longer they survive the less Shi cares about keeping secrets.
Relationships: Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Smellerbee & Zuko
Series: The Best Path: Prompt Fills [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736206
Comments: 25
Kudos: 167
Collections: The Best Path: 5th Anniversary Prompt Party!





	Bad Faith

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [TreasureHunter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreasureHunter/pseuds/TreasureHunter) in the [TBPpromptparty](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/TBPpromptparty) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Jet and Smellerbee discover Shi isn't a warchild, but instead a Fire Nation citizen (whether they discover he's the Prince or not is up to you) and have to deal with that/confront him.
> 
> **This is an AU of my series and not TBP canon.

One path looks like this.

The longer they survive, hidden in a network of caves on an Earth Kingdom coastline, the less Shi cares about keeping secrets.

Longshot has thought that way as long as he’s known him; it had been frustrating back then, how little of Shi’s fears and angers and worries he saw reflected in the archer. Now, after so many years, after so much struggle, he understands.

As terrible as Jet’s wrath, his hate, his hurt would be, it just isn’t as important as keeping him safe. Keeping _them_ safe.

And Jet… maybe it comes with age, maybe it’s because of the kind of world that they live in now, but it becomes clear he feels the same way.

The hate never dies. Shi becomes well acquainted with all its shades, with its frightening depth, its violent flashes, its constancy, its cruelty. Any progress been made to lessen the hold it has on Jet’s mind had died when the Fire Nation won, when they burned the Earth Kingdom shore to shore.

The hate never dies, but it never touches Shi.

Not when he bends a rolling mass of flames back on the soldier who made it, planted in front of where Smellerbee lays, clutching what is left of her arm.

Smellerbee yelled at him for it, screamed her broken trust, then worries way too much about Shi and Jet when she should be worrying about herself.

Jet didn’t speak once until they knew she’ll survive losing the hand. Then he'd said “I bet that would drive them nuts. Knowing some Earth kid stole their ‘superior element’.” He’d grinned dark and wicked, then frowned, gaze far away, clenching a fist. “I’m sorry, Shi. You deserve to have gotten Earth.”

“I grew up in the Fire Nation,” Shi says, at one point. Jet’s eyes have been dead for a week, his actions mechanical, his voice silent. Shi’s desperate for something, anything, to pull him out of it.

It doesn’t work. Jet starts living again on his own several days later. Shi isn’t even sure he remembers until he brings it up after they’re forced to move again, the glow of flames on the horizon, eating the land.

“This is still my home,” he said, “My land. I can’t imagine being taken away from it. Your mother was a strong woman.”

Nothing brings on the next time but self-sabotage and morbid curiosity.

“My name was Zuko.” Shi begins conversationally. “Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. I was Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne.”

Jet slams him against the wall, teeth barred. “Nice try, but it won’t work. You can’t take Shi away from me, _Fire Nation scum._ ” He walks out, and when he returns hours later with a bounce in his step and blood drying on his arms he acts like it never happened, like nothing’s changed.

In the end, secrets don't mean anything. There are so many heavier burdens to carry.


End file.
